New Treatments Give Hope to Babies With Heart Defects

7/22/2013 12:37PM

Pediatric surgeons at two of the country's top hospitals are developing new treatments that could dramatically improve the survival rates of babies born with congenital heart defects. WSJ's Ron Winslow and Mayo Clinic physician Tim Nelson explain on Lunch Break. Photo: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... he ... served as a tool of the country's top hospitals in developing new treatments that can significantly improve ... survival for babies with one of its most challenging ... part the next join me now the de tails ... I said it's a health and science deputy beer chief Ron Winslow ... and Doctor Sen Nelson of the Mayo clinic on ... over to you first I describe these heart defects of these babies are born with and was in the traditional treatment and the traditional approach ... also the Missouri babies withdrew their about a thousand babies in the U S born each year were ... essentially half of her ... the lack of fully developed life difficult ... in the left side of the artists of sets the mood to compromise ... his most recent report card is the main pumping chamber ... and ... so it delivers the blog ... to quote from the heart to rest the body ... over the past three decades surgeons to develop three ... three ... stop surgical open heart surgeries ... go to about age three or four ... that ... enabled the right ventricle ... to take over from laughing and basic perform the function of the left is the view that ... the that that does have some ... significant drawbacks ... it's often not the phone because my cousin who ... is actually designed only to deliver what belongs which is kind of a low pressure ... operation ... and reluctant to cool off and BUD is much more hard work so ... in many cases ... on the Street years ... ago ... durable enough ... as the basis of the dogs are not that they don't survive the lead in the heart failure of new tunes ... Dr Nelson tell us about the Mayo clinic's our research and that inpatient pilot trial you are doing and what it involves out with stem cells ... thank you so indeed there are three surgeries their standard of care are ... routinely being done here in Oakland and cross country ... but eventually the stupid and senior transport and so this condition clinical trial ... is really focusing for the first line with guidance the FDA ... to deliver stem cells to try to make the right heart bigger better and stronger ... and so are you doing that by starting with the umbilical cord blood that's Clapton ... at the time of earth with this diagnosis creatively ... and they have the first or treating we process the cells and at the time of their sentence or are they going procedure ... when we reviewed delivering the stem cells to try to make the right are ... they are better and stronger ... and the Bronte using stem cells another approach being taught of Boston Sean hospital and this I'm saying is a very simple terms that they're almost trying to get the left ventricle to to to to grow to ... grow for his act is that what they're doing essentially ICE for at that rate to ... what happens in this birth defect is that blood flows essentially ... shut off or what is so limited to the left then Travolta did ... after fees ... we go to the gym to workout the Wonder muscle store and ... if we win our muscles go ... with ... did um don't know the the bright idea to get a week it's a little guide this is the simple idea that the beer they can ... get blood to flow through a ventricle of its compromise and stunted growth to be ... at birth ... that maybe they can coax it to grow ... and ... this is the ten year project that very carefully selected on it it's good for dissipated ... aam but so far about a third of them ... have actually been able to ... transfer from a single ventricle that was part of the legal procedures ... are now living with both and dysfunction and they did they they do this a sign of prenatal Sterman a female what it can start a new prenatal but keep them in the three surgeries are ... done after birth but ... in a few cases they can try the open of elves and clear some of the obstructions ... Group Real procedure that helps ... give blood flow into the ventricle ... of you know when you grow by Ron Winslow more in The Wall Street else Pursell section tomorrow thanks Journal section tomorrow thanks be with the stock Nelson appreciate you being with us is well thank so much ...